Former RAAF Firefighter Pat Mildren has reported that at least 40 deaths to firefighters occurred at Point Cook in Victoria due to exposure to chemicals. Source: News Limited

REPORTS on the health effects of chemical exposure will be presented to the Military Rehabilitation Compensation Commission (MRCC) next month with former RAAF firefighters desperately hoping their cancers and neurological conditions will finally be acknowledged by Defence.

Townsville’s Pat Mildren has been campaigning on behalf of hundreds of his mates after they began to fall sick and even die from conditions which they believe are related to the chemical fuelled training fires they worked with at RAAF Bases across Australia from 1956 onwards.

Both a comprehensive examination of the files of former RAAF firefighters by an occupational physician and a medical science literature review by an internationally renowned chemical exposure expert have been completed.

The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) flew three of its top medical advisers to Townsville last week to present the findings to Mr Mildren and a number of his fellow Air Force firefighters.

The group was told the expert reports will be presented to the MRCC on May 6 and also delivered to high level officials including the Chief of Air Force (CAF), Vice Chief of the Defence Force and Minister of Defence.

The men were also told about three separate studies into the medical consequences of chemical exposure, the results of which are due in early next year.

Mr Mildren said while he was disappointed to still not have a definitive answer about whether Defence would acknowledge it had caused their conditions, he believed significant progress had been made.

“Dr Killer made the statement that this is ‘groundbreaking research’ as it not only affects firefighters but a whole range of other Defence and civilian personnel,” Mr Mildren said. “It was very interesting and pleasing to be given a report by Dr Gardner that the CAF, Air Marshall Geoff Brown, had recently asked him at a function they were attending if he had any recent news on our investigation.

“We do have to be patient as there is no doubt all of the departments are with us in seeking a fair and just outcome.”

THEIR days on the court may be over but former Townsville Fire players Aneka Davis, Cherie Gallagher and Julia Duroux will be cheering from the sideline when the team takes on Bendigo in the grand final.